Johnnie B. Rawlinson

Johnnie Blakeney Rawlinson (born December 16, 1952) is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Early life Rawlinson was born in Concord, North Carolina. She received a B.S. from North Carolina A&T State University in 1974. She received a J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1979. She was in private practice of law in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1979 to 1980. In 1980, Rawlinson and Viveca Monet Woods became the first African American women admitted to practice law in Nevada. Rawlinson was a staff attorney of Nevada Legal Services, Las Vegas, Nevada in 1980. She worked at the Office of the District Attorney, Las Vegas, Nevada from 1980 to 1998. She was a deputy district attorney from 1980 to 1989, and a chief deputy district attorney from 1989 to 1995. She was an assistant district attorney from 1995 to 1998. Education and career Rawlinson received most of her education in North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1974. She graduated with distinction from the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1979. She had served as deputy district attorney and chief deputy for over 17 years in the office of the Clark County District Attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as receiving law practice as a clerk at Kiefer Clark & O'Reilly and other legal services throughout the United States prior to her appointments. She served as a United States district judge after being nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the United States Senate in 1997. She was the first female judge to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.